Clamp.



No. 843,820. 'PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907. L. P. IMHOFF.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1906.

zmzszmiw WITNESSES.-

INVENTOR.

{/4 Z2 By @11 A TTORZVE Y5 LOUIS P. IMI-IOFF, OF GEORGETUWN, TEXAS.

CLAMP.

Specific tion of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 5,1906. Serial lie. 315,435.

To aZZ 1077,0712, it Hwy concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS P. IMHOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Georgetown, in the county of \Villiamson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed for hoisting various articlessuch as pumprods, well-tubes, and similar structures or devicesand has for its object to provide a simply-constructed and efficient clamping device adapted to grip the structure to be elevated at any desired point and quickly releasable therefrom and attachable thereto.

lVith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved device applied. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the pipe which is being hoisted in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the clamping-jaws detached. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clamping member detached.

The improved device consists of two opposing jaws 10 11, preferably reversely curved to bear against the article to be elevatedas, for instance, a pipeas represented at 12, and pivotally united at 13 at one end and with the other ends 1 1 15 extended laterally and provided with transverse apertures 16 17, one or both of which is elongated. Extending through the apertures 16 and 17 is a bar 18, having a laterallyextending lug at one end provided with an inclined inner face for bearing against one of the jaws and a head in the form of a collar 19 upon the other end of the bar and bearing against the outer face of the other jaw. The bar 18 is provided with an operating-am 21, having means-such as an aperture 22* at its free end for receiving a pull cable or chain or like devices.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that the bar 18 is free to swing upon the jaw 10 and prevented from displacement therefrom by the enlarged head 19, and when disposed in one position or with the lateral extension 20 in alinement with the elongated aperture 17 the bar 18 maybe coupled with the jaw 11, and by disposing the operatingarm 21. into a substantially vertical position the extension 20 will bear over the adjacent outer face of the extension 1.) of the jaw 11 and firmly lock the two jaws together.

The lateral extension 20 is inclined upon its inner face, so that when the arm 21 is operated the extension will produce a drawing effect upon the jaw 11 and forcibly move it toward the jaw 10 and firmly clamp the two jaws upon the pipe or other article held between them. Thus the jaws are firmly held in position and cannot be displaced so long as the arm 21 is in a vertical position, but may be easily released by turning the arm into a position to bring the extension 20 in longitudinal alinement with the elongated aperture 17, when the jaw 11 can be readily moved away from the jaw 10 or swung upon its pivot 13.

The bar 18 is integral with the inclinedfaced lateral lug 20, and the head 19 is detachable therefrom, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 6, and adapted to be fastened in any suitable manner to the bar after the parts have been assembled, so that the bar 18 can be inserted through the aperture 16 before the head is applied, and after the head is fastened in position the bar 18, together with its operating-arm 21 and lateral lug 20, will not become detached from the clamp member 10 when. the device is released from the pipe or when being transported.

The aws 10 11 are sufficiently large to engage the pipe 12 somewhat loosely, so that when the clamping member is applied the jaws will assume a position inclined to the longitudinal plane of the pipe, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and thus grip the pipe or other article, as will be obvious.

The device is simple in construction, can be readily adapted to pipes and rods of different sizes, and operates effectually for the purposes described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In an implement of the class described, the combination of two hingedly-connected semicircular jaws having biting edges on the top at one point and on the bottom at a diametrically-opposite point, each biting edge being formed partly on one and partly on the other for forcing the jaws toward each other, and jaw, with a single device connected with the means on the outer end of the structure for free ends of the jaws for drawing the latter I attachment with a draft-cable. I 5

5 together and for lifting the objects gripped In testimony that I claim the foregoing as by the jaws, said device comprising spaced my own I have hereto allixed my signature apertured extensions on the free ends of the in the presence of two witnesses. jaws, a T-shaped structure having its cross LOUIS P. IMIIOFF. member extending through the apertures of Witnesses:

10 the extensions and its other member disposed Doss MoREYNoLDs,

between the extensions, means on the ends CARL MIOKAN.

of the cross member engaging the extension 

